Summary:
Zip code 72324, serving the Cherry Valley area of Arkansas, is home to two public schools within the Cross County School District, a 4-star district ranked in the top 18% of Arkansas school districts.
The standout school in this area is Cross County Elementary Technical Academy (grades PK-6), which is a mathematics powerhouse. Its overall math proficiency rate of 61.9% significantly exceeds the state average of 44.1%, with every grade level from 3rd to 6th scoring well above state benchmarks. In contrast, Cross County High School A New Technical School (grades 7-12) excels in student retention, boasting an exceptionally low dropout rate of just 0.3% and a strong graduation rate. While the high school's math proficiency (46.9%) is lower than the elementary school's, it still beats the state average, and its English Language Arts proficiency (43.8%) also outpaces the state (39.4%).
Both schools serve a student population where 100% are eligible for free or reduced lunch, yet they achieve above-average academic results—a testament to the district's effective strategies. The high school strategically allocates more resources per student ($14,767 vs. $11,666 at the elementary school) and maintains a lower student-teacher ratio (11.1 vs. 16.1), likely supporting individualized instruction and technical coursework. Together, these schools form a cohesive K-12 system that is a clear success story for rural education, with the elementary school leading in math and the high school excelling at guiding students to graduation.
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